When Romance Wins the Race
This miniseries is very good. The twists, turns and chemistry between the leads were enjoyable. The SML was comic relief in so many ways. This type of story has been seen before. However, the ML and FL were strong in delivering non-verbal cues, romantic tension and keeping the overall vibe of the storyline. The OST fit the narrative well and didn't overshadow scenes. I have seen the male lead in a few major roles. He should have more. He is definitely one to watch. The overall production was solid. This is a ROMCOM MINI that is worth the watch,Was this review helpful to you?
Story itself is very touching. It made me think about troubles which appear when you're different and how hard is to accept someone who is not like you. It is very easy to say but so hard to do. To try to understand another person and not to blame, not to hate. And characters in this drama have come such a long way, every one of them and it was so amazig watching their change. And I'm not sure that I' m strong enough like Do Han or Yoon Suh. And this is why this drama is so special. It makes me think, it makes me emrace the world as it is and to see beauty in it. Furthermore there were a lot of touching supporting roles.
As for acting. It was INCREDIBLE! First of all Park Shi On. I don't have words to describe how good he was. He was just perfect. He played so well that there wasn't even a thought that he is normal human being like all of us. It seemed that he was a special caring soul. I'm just so grateful that he was serious about this role. But other actors were also magnificent. All of them wew such a great team. I loved the complexity of characters, their richness.
Although this drama may seem a little boring and slow. But because of the fact that it shows human relationships and human nature it is right. It is a very good example how to make a very good drama. Watch it. I'm sure you won't regret it, because you can find something that you'll like. Such good doctors in a such good drama.
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A sweet slow burn romance between an older woman and younger man
The Rational Life is easy and enjoyable to watch, but is probably catered towards a more mature audience since it tackles subjects like what it's like being a career driven single woman in her thirties, family struggles and office politics. Even though the subjects might sound heavy the drama overall feels very light.The female lead Shen Ruo Xin is a very ambitious, intelligent and capable woman in her thirties. She knows what she wants in life and never stops working towards her goals. When she meets the male lead Qi Xiao he takes out other sides in her and around him she feels comfortable to just be herself. Together they face a lot of struggles and growth at work, but also in their private lives.
They create a very strong bond early on, but it takes time for their relationship to develop further. Even though the main characters has an age difference of 12 years in the drama their romance doesn't feel awkward or forced thanks to the actor's amazing performances. Since the drama is a bit longer the slow burn romance and pacing actually suits it. My biggest complaint would be that it lacks passion so by the time they do start dating it isn't as satisfying as one might wish.
I've seen a lot of people call this drama realistic, but I don't agree with that. While it is inspirational with such a strong female lead it also annoys me that so many dramas either make their female lead clumsy and naive or they make her overly rational, capable and smart to the point of perfection.
I long for a capable career driven female lead that is great at her job but without feeling like she can't do anything wrong, always knows the right thing to say and do in every single situation, always has the best suggestions and ideas. I'm tired of it always being one extreme or the other. You can be a strong empowered smart woman that's great at your job without it being potrayed in such an unrealistic way.
Exaggerations, extremes and stereotypes in dramas are okay, but I think that in a drama that almost feels like a Slice of Life that tackles real issues in society the character's should feel more human and real. Other than that I do like her character a lot and she's one of the most enjoyable parts of the show.
Shen Ruo Xin's mom is very controlling and overbearing, but I don't mind that since it's actually something that many people go through with their parents. What I do mind though is that a lot of her reactions felt very unnatural. Her character felt very inconsistent and some scenes almost felt like theatrics rather than acting. I thought that the family aspect of the drama was nice and created a great balance with the work and romance related ones, so the inconsistency in the mother's behaviour threw me off sometimes.
All in all this is a very sweet drama, one of the better age gap dramas out there in my opinion. I even enjoyed the work place related plotlines which says a lot.
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Favourite of 2024!
The Judge From Hell not only lived up to my expectations but clearly surpassed it. I absolutely loved Park ShinHye as Kang Bitna. Even when they show her personality transformation, it is actually believable. Contrast that to the human Kang Bitna who died in episode 1 and how differently she was portrayed. You can see a real difference between the two personalities. That was just one of the beauties of this show.The other aspect I loved is the punishments dealt by Bitna. The concept was simple yet ingenious. The CGI are beautiful. And if you love strong female characters as much as I do, you will especially love this one. It would have been so easy to mess this up because of some of the twists in the series and especially with the ending. But the series maintained it's strength and doubled down on it's portrayal of Kang Bitna as the judge from hell. Strength doesn't always have to mean physical. It can also come from within and that's what we get in those moments.
Han DaOn was also a nice character. A bit too nice and emotional to be a cop yet you want to root for him even when he is opposed to Bitna. He certainly doesn't take the attention away from her. Bitna is the shining star and the show never loses its focus! Credit to the writers and directors on that.
There are quite a few secondary characters that are enjoyable and the true villain was not easy to guess as there were many inaccurate theories by fans. That also made it more enjoyable guessing what the true nature of people was.
The only other supernatural justice plot I can think of is the Thai drama Girl From Nowhere which is more gruesome and serious. In contrast, The Judge From Hell keeps a balance between the seriousness of the cases and the punishments being entertaining due to the way they are recreated. Besides that TJFH has lighter moments and comedy that makes it a fun watch versus GFN is heavy. I loved both shows and there are aspects that are comparable so I would definitely recommend both.
The OST Boomerang, Crossroad and Gehenna are worth listening to.
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Psychopatic Male Cinderella
To sum up:Not as good as the promo materials, but might be the best xianxia out there.
The trailer doesn't really do justice as it barely shows the beautiful cinematography.
Fast paced.
It's the best xianxia in terms of cinematography, visual effects, and acting.
Tantai Jin was not a typical xianxia's demon lord. In the early stage, he's more of a psycho in a xianxia setting. It's not easy to bring this character to life as he had no precedence in c-drama world. This is not a straightforward "love melt the demon lord's heart" trope as ML had a problem to function like normal human. It's a difficult character and cannot be compared with other xianxia ML.
In fact the closest character to Tantai Jin is not in c-drama land, but Hannibal from the tv series. Not saying Luo Yunxi's acting is Mads Mikkelsen level, but there are many similarity in the way the show managed to make the audience nervous on whether or not the main character was sincere or just faking it. This is the most terrifying thing about these characters and this c-drama managed to present this element to certain extent.
In Hannibal interview, Mikkelsen said Hannibal was Lucifer in human suit. Luo Yunxi actually pulled similar things in the early stage of the drama. There's something uncanny about Tantai Jin that you know he was not really human. Luo Yunxi was acting a character that was acting as human and there bound to be some flaws in the act. This flaws need to be brought on screen and this is not easy since they are not natural to the human actor. This demands a lot of restrains and layered performance.
An example of this is eps. 8. You wondered whether Tantai Jin was sad or not. His eyes showed a hint of sadness, but the expression was not really sad. Luo Yunxi must have put a lot of restrain during this scene. Other times, it was the opposite. The expression didn't reach the eyes.
The acting was pretty subtle. That's why when Tantai Jin showed his manic sides such as eps. 4, it's really memorable.
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If the drama never had Son Seok Koo...
These days I tend to hear words like toxic, red flags etc on the internet a lot to which I anticipate if were made in a drama it would be this. Its easy to criticize sitting at home behind a screen where in real world the production team works so hard for, so I tried to empathize with the efforts of the people involved while speaking up. But the level of annoyance I had watching this made me compel to come up with a negative review. The major reason for show's popularity in my opinion was the actor SSK charms (and I am not unharmed btw for if he looks into the screen and I die blushing; hot would be an understatement for this man ) So here I am taking off my SSK lens and asking viewers to take the story as what it is.The good parts for me was the quality of direction and dialogues (whatever little it had). The silences around the characters were beautiful. The one who stood out the most was Change Hee. By no means he was any different or dare I say likeable to any extent. It was the depth of Chang Hee which was portrayed through his monologues which touched me. He knew life was not what he wanted and he exactly knew why. It takes so much of strength to admit your own shortcomings and blame no one but oneself for it. Given the choice to betray the family and live life on his own terms he would still be there doing his part for the family. He was this kind of a person and the actor suited him well. Such kind of complex character could have been done by a veteran only and respect of Lee Min Ki skills.
Coming to the sisters, one who thought being in love was her only purpose and another who complained how her parents did nothing for her yet when a man who never spoke a word to her bought her all the happiness she ever lacked. Seriously what?! If the main motive of the story was to address the superficiality and taken it as issue, I would have been up for it. However what it did was to romanticize this which really got on my nerves. Even towards the end Mi Jung and Ki Jung never admitted how mean they were to their parents who btw sacrificed so much for their kids and got nothing. The actors were good but the script lacked I guess.
I am choosing to remain silent for Mr Gu's character, period.
There was a concept of the Liberation club which was unique and intriguing, more became a club of people coming together, crying they have an issue (which btw the viewers were already aware before the formation of the club) and then nothing. What do you expect me to do? Empathize with random bunch of persons crying ?
Anyway if you want a good slice of life drama, there are way better ones out there. The very core of this drama was bs for me and would never recommend it in my sanity.
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This drama begun last year but since it was completed this year, I'm counting it as a (2015) drama.
This drama is the most highly addictive drama so far, this year. An excellent drama at that too~ I usually tend to not keep up with currently airing dramas for some reason. I'm either a few episodes behind or I just wait until it's completed to marathon the rest. Not this drama. NOPE! I kept up with every single episode, every painful and long-awaited week and it was worth it! (You guys who have not watched this yet won't have to wait painfully like I did, you can just marathon the whole thing.) xP
The overall plot was cleverly well-done in nearly all of the crucial, sweet, and fun moments.
I had high expectations because Park Min Young (Chae Yeong Shin) and Ji Chang Wook (Healer/Seo Jung Hoo) but they completely exceeded those expectations in every way. Their interactions and chemistry were second to none, perfectly put together in fun, silly, casual, dangerous, and romantic/cute moments. I'm glad it didn't focus on the romantic aspect a lot like how most dramas would. I loved that. PMY did her role very well. It was believable and adorably cute~ Ji Chang Wook.... dear god! Don't get me started on this guy. He is such a bias wrecker! (^u^)~ He's one amazing actor. I noticed in most of his scenes, he uses his eyes to act as well. So brilliant! I loved every single episode/scene with him whether he was was with Yeong Shin or not. He made me laugh, cry, and scream... Hahaha xD Yes, SCREAM!!! His character was complicated but when you watch, you'll understand why~
It wasn't just them who made the drama fun to watch. The supporting casts too~
Yoo Ji Tae (Kim Moon Ho) || Park Sang Won (Kim Moon Shik) || Do Ji Won who played CYS's mom || Kim Mi Kyung (Min Ja/ajumma), Oh Gwang Rok (Healer's Teacher), even Park Sang Myeon (Chae Yeong's dad) made this drama extremely awesome to watch! Out of all the supporting casts, Kim Mi Kyung was the best for me. Hahahaha xD That woman killed me. She played her part so freaking hilariously badass! xD Lmfaooo xD I loved her! xD Quite memorable characters!
The OST was just perfect! Every song fits perfectly with every scene. Even the english songs too. I already downloaded most of the songs! Haha! xD The instrumentals sounds so beautiful, even Ji Chang Wook released a single. OMG! When you hear his voice, you will immediately have an eargasm!
The entire team did a fantastic job on this drama. It was well written and well directed. I highly recommend this drama! I wish it didn't end, but I'm definitely going to watch it again after I download every single episode! :D
If action/thrillers with some drama and romance in the midst of all that is your type of drama, then you won't be disappointed one bit. I certainly wasn't. Give it a try! ^^
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Most people will probably want to watch this for the Eita + Matsuda Ryuhei combination, but the humor and the way the drama is filmed is like the cherry on top. I also love the two main characters who are anything but your typical male leads in jdramas.
Lines reflect minimalism. Words are mostly minimal and normal to very dumb sounding conversations that are kept to simple tiny bits of phrases then later on becomes philosophical thoughts and rhetoric questions thrust into the end or in between these seemingly mundane and meaningless conversations and BAM that’s when it hits you hard on the head and in the heart. This also the point where you as a viewer have something similar to a character and then you start to review your life choices and principles in life. In addition, It contains an exploration of the micro socio-economic structures as a work of fiction that highly reflects reality but is never cliched like telenovela but more relevant to real life moral issues and the cause and effects of society.
Mahoro is a very laid-back, simple story of two guys–Gyoten and Tada–who do various odd-jobs around their city. I love the ‘lazy’ feel that Mahoro has. This might sound weird but yeah, Mahoro has this lazy atmosphere which is also quite reflective of Gyoten and Tada’s way of life.
Anyway, the first thing you may notice in Mahoro is the BROMANCE. Yes, it is awesome. And not just because it is Eita and Matsuda Ryuhei together. The thing I love about the bromance is that it is not forced into the drama. It is not there just for some obligatory swoony bromance. Instead Tada and Gyoten feel very natural when they are together and it goes unsaid that they have a really deep companionship and bond. Also the main selling point of the drama is NOT just that there is always eye candy with Eita and Matsuda Ryuhei on the screen. Instead the characters of Tada and Gyoten are very ordinary yet charming at the same time.
At some point in Mahoro, I think you’ll begin to realize that it is way more than just bromance and humor. Mahoro is not only about shipping Tada and Gyoten, it’s not about the weird odd-jobs they do, but it's also about the people that Gyoten and Tada encounter. I guess what I’m trying to say is, Mahoro is not scared to show you things as they are. It’s not scared to go places that might even make you feel a bit uncomfortable. I like that the drama doesn’t sugarcoat anything and simply shows people as they are–flawed human beings. It exposes the dark sides of the characters but also makes sure to show their good sides. Pretty much none of the people that Tada and Gyoten encounter are people you would consider to be ‘admirable’ or ‘respectable’ but the drama always counters this by showing their redeeming quality and vulnerability.
The main leads are brilliant, they were at their best in this drama, they simply shine. Both Eita and Matsuda. How they portrayed their characters, there isn't anyone else who could take the role. Although I'm Eita's fan since forever and love him the most, here Matsuda stole the show with his character of Gyoten, instantly became one of my favourite and dearest charactes ever.
In the show, both Tada and Gyoten are quite similar because they both have a really mellow and laidback personality. They are just chilling and drifting through life. Probably the main difference is that Tada is the one that’s “in charge” and is more conscious about social graces whereas Gyoten is irresponsible and blunt, he is also a lot of fun to watch, not exactly impulsive but he is the kind of guy who doesn’t care about boundaries and is willing to take the initiative to do something. His straight-forwardness can come off as being outspoken in certain situations, but earnest in others. Gyoten is a really good balance with Tada because he can help Tada make quick decisions, and Tada can help keep him out of trouble. He can always turn a seemingly boring situation into a funny one. He still has this running joke of telling all his customers that he and Tada are a couple. The funny part is that he looks completely serious whenever he ‘jokes’ about it and the customers end up believing it. Simply he is outstanding and the most interesting nutty character ever.
I liked all the content of this drama, it was refreshing not just because of the script and of the acting but as a whole cinematic masterpiece. The set were utilized as some sort of subliminal advert placement ala spot the hidden brand sponsor. It was not an annoying ad placement or corporate whoring but was more enjoyable to the viewers at the very least. Things like the clever foreshadowing, timing, and the proper use of mature content with props and all dignified the desperation and tensions in the story in a way never done before in Japanese TV. Even the tracks of the OST were superb pieces of music with lyrics drenched in pain and satire though presented in a funky or chill arrangements. The irony is fine in this one.
Watch this drama if :
- you want to see bromance, bromance, and more bromance between Gyoten (Matsuda Ryuhei) and Tada (Eita).
- you're a fan of Eita & Matsuda Ryuhei (WHO WOULDN’T BE?)
- you like quirky, eccentric dramas
- you are ok with the bromance not being everything in the drama.
For those of you who don’t quite like dramas that are too slow and serious, but still want quality without the sappiness, Mahoro might be for you. You may like this drama more if you like a sort of offbeat, quirky drama.
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Unique! Rewatch!
This series is why I still believe there is love for everyone. this might seem over the top to some but if you have not felt left out or an outcast in your life in one way or another, then It might be difficult to relate but I did and it was just beautiful.I'm amazed at how many people have lost the main storyline, point of this series but I'm also glad there are people who appreciate the diversity and representation that we've never had in any other BL series.
I'm so thankful for Saint and everyone involved in this series for brining this series come to life!
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In this drama there were so many big shot actors all in one for which impacted the many watching audiences:
Cha Eun Sang (Park Shin Hye)
As much as I love Park Shin Hye as an actor I found her character very annoying. This is because of her constantly crying whenever she faces a problem in her life, or just crying after see Kim Tan (Lee Min Ho). But if she was aiming for that type of character I applaud her for that.
Kim Tan (Lee Min Ho)
Lee Min Ho playing Kim Tan was pretty good because of how he would always want to stick to his brother, having no clue of what's going on within the business because of his young age. However, he kept cockblocking the relationship between Cha Eun Sang and Choi Young Do for which I would like to see further develop.
Choi Young Do (Kim Woo Bin)
Oh gosh, did I love Kim Woo Bin's character in this drama. The different emotions he used to express each and everything showed perfectly well on his face. However, I feel as though if the relationship between Choi Young Do and Cha Eun Sang were to further develop it would add some extra excitement.
Lee Bo Na (Krsytal) & Yoon Chan Young (Kang Min Hyuk)
This is one of my favourite couples the were so cute and funny.
Lee Hyo Shin (Kang Ha Neul)
He acted out his character extremely well with the different emotions shown in this drama from: Mysterious -> dorky -> angry -> jealousy there were so many emotions he displayed wonderfully.
Kim Won (Choi Jin Hyuk)
He played the role of an elder brother, step in company owner and a lover extremely well. I loved how he could show different personalities to his character.
Jo Myung-soo (Park Hyung Shik)
asdfghjkl;' He was too adorable in this drama I could see the many bromances forming with him. ><
Han Ki-Ae (Kim Sung-Ryoung)& Park Hee-Nam (Kim Mi-Kyung)
OMFG these mothers were one of my favourites! They were humorous, cute and dorky. I also applaud Kim Mi-Kyung for not speaking throughout this whole drama, other than narrating :L
Rachel Yoo (Kim Ji Won)
She did amazingly well! Playing the antagonist in this drama simply brilliant.
As or music wise, it did sound really nice at the beginning but they just kept replaying the tracks over and over again when there was any chance possible. Which made it especially cheesy.
I'm sorry but I wouldn't watch this again, it was very confusing and lacked finesse therefore I would give it an overall score of 6.
Sorry if I did offend anyone with my review but as mentioned before I had my expectations up really high. Also is it just me or did Cha Eun Sang cry in at lest 18 of the 20 episodes?
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Entertaining but Predictable, A Solid Yet Unoriginal Revenge Thriller
This series is undeniably entertaining, offering all the key ingredients that keep an audience engaged, friendships, romance, suspense, mystery, and a touch of violence and action. It’s a formula that works, but it's not groundbreaking.At its core, it follows a familiar narrative: a protagonist seeking revenge or trying to uncover the murderer of a loved one. In this case, the setting is a school, which isn’t particularly original either. The “high school murder mystery” trope has become a trend, where students must uncover the killer among their classmates, each hiding dark secrets.
However, some aspects felt underdeveloped. Certain characters lacked presence, compelling secrets, or even a true sense of revenge. Despite the title, Revenge of Others focuses on just one primary revenge arc. The series does, however, emphasize violence more than similar shows, with students resorting to torture and brutality, treating death as less of a taboo.
The female lead, Ok Chan Mi, often came across as overly naive and impulsive. She frequently jumped to conclusions based on speculation rather than evidence, acting as if her assumptions were facts. One interesting element was the portrayal of her twin brother, not as an innocent victim, but as someone with his own flaws.
The final two episodes felt somewhat unsatisfying, which is often the case with series like this.
Overall, Revenge of Others is an engaging watch with solid production, acting, and a dark tone. However, it doesn’t bring anything particularly new to the genre. It’s enjoyable but predictable.
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Hilariously entertaining
The story is very entertaining. 1st episode is funny, second episode is funnier and the rest is enjoyable. This is not annoying anti women/men love story.. The male lead is a popular actor that has an adonis reputation but the truth is he dislikes women, and vice versa for Female lead who is a lawyer. Where she ended up working in a law firm dominated by men. And that’s how they met, It’s worth watching. You won’t be sorry. The casts have good chemistry. They’re all good actors, they played their roles really well. It’s funny how the men and women are totally opposites from the female parents to main leads.Was this review helpful to you?
Now that we've got that out of the way: Despite unevenness, Cheese in the Trap is a narrative success in my books, for many of the same reasons I've also defended that other 2016 YA drama with a bad reputation, Scarlet Heart: Ryeo. (Speaking of, MLSHR is one of the recs under CITT because it, too, has a "questionably crazy male lead." Hilarity.)
Anyway, k-drama romances tend to fall under two trends:
(1) Zany Disney-esque romcoms where love lifts everyone up where they belong (see: My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, To the Beautiful You, You Who Came From the Stars, etc. etc. etc. etc.).
(2) Toxic and imbalanced relationships that are glorified with undeserved happily-ever-afters (see: Boys Over Flowers, The Heirs, and so on and so forth).
Cheese in the Trap isn't either of those stories. Much like MLSHR, CITT is concerned with one overarching question: Can a person change another person? (Alternatively: Do people change *for* other people?) The show doesn't give a pat answer, and that's to its credit.
In short, this is a slice-of-life that isn't afraid to go dark (and not in an incongruous after-school special way — unlike Age of Youth, the darkness in CITT is fully fleshed out). If you're looking for light, escapist fun that delivers a straightforward message, there are literally hundreds of other dramas for you. If, otoh, you want a complex story about young adults that doesn't idealise its characters — but also, importantly, doesn't descend into nihilism — you might want to give Cheese in the Trap a shot.
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I really thought Idol Romance finally made a good show
After the first two episodes, I thought this show was going to be good. I thought "Wow, Idol Romance finally learned from their mistakes", but immediately after episodes 3 and 4, I realized that they hadn't. The only thing I liked about this show was Eun Gyu, but more on that later.The story was just boring. Nothing happened. In the span of 8 episodes, not a single thing happened. The whole show can be boiled down to this: a new guy joins a restaurant and creates an overly dramatic love triangle that would never happen in real life. I don't understand who green-lit this script. It could've had the potential with a different storyline than just another love triangle. I do admit, Hae Won and Eun Gyu did have decent chemistry. The actors did their scenes nicely. But what was seriously lacking was some development in that relationship. And the fact that Ji Soo and Eun Gyu got into such a dramatic argument about a guy they'd known for a month, despite their 15 years of friendship, seriously annoyed me as a viewer. There was so much backstory between those two friends that never got unpacked, other than maybe 5 minutes across all episodes that just dropped bombshells of information on us.
Along with the story, the characters just bothered me in so many ways. All of them. They were all poorly written. This is no hatred towards the actors, by the way. But I don't get why all the characters were so childish when they were all at least in their twenties. Why did they all start acting so fussy just because of some new handsome guy joining? Ji Soo was just a very uncomfortable character in the weird way he forced himself upon Hae Won, but Hae Won was also annoyingly naive. And I didn't understand what the real function of Ha Jin and Joo Seo Hyuk was. They were just kind of there.
I hate critiquing acting because I know I'll never be able to perform the same way, but the acting in this show was not that great. The only actor whom I genuinely thought was good was the actor playing Eun Gyu. The guy playing Ji Soo was also good at times, but it was Eun Gyu who carried the show acting-wise. I hope to see him act in other shows after this because he really has talent.
Overall, no, I did not like the show. And I honestly don't recommend it to anyone. I think you'll only like this show if you swallow *anything* related to BL. But this show was just not good. I would've dropped this show if it weren't for being so short.
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1
1ABOUT THE ROMANCE....
Touted as a female-centric drama, The Story of Pearl Girl tells the story of Duanwu's journey from slave girl to entrepreneur. It is a story of hope, perseverance, and resilience. Zhao Lusi's portrayal of the growth of her character from one whose actions came from desperation for freedom to one who uses her prosperity to help other women was captivating. Lusi as a versatile actress is well known. I am not part of any one fandom and have several other actresses I enjoy watching, but I have to say that I cannot imagine another actress in this role. She was outstanding!One expert in the field of TV and communications noted that "the drama opens up a new direction for the transformation of female-oriented dramas... as there is an awakening of women's consciousness, shifting from a desire to watch love stories to that of watching business dramas. " Well, not me. As much as I enjoy an interesting business drama, I enjoy love stories more. For more details such as expert feedback, background, production, and all things The Story of Pearl Girl please see Frost-edelweiss' companion piece. Just copy and paste the following link or you can find it in discussions at the top of the TSOPG forum. https://mydramalist.com/discussions/zhu-lian-yu-mu/131556-the-story-of-pearl-girl-companion-piece.
Romance....
I felt the tension between the leads long before they got together. Lusi and Liu Yuning's chemistry captivated me in such a way that I have never wanted so much for a happy ending. Their relationship did not start with love at first sight...even though I saw a l flicker of interest in Yan Zi Ying's eyes when he saw the beautiful Duanwu in her pearl dance. Their earlier relationship was not one of equality and YZJ was not the gentle hero. You might even find him cruel and unyielding at first but you will come to understand him. The relationship developed at a steady pace. Duanwu's quick mind allowed her to keep up with YZJ. It was obvious he found her fascinating and smart. And little by little he gave in to her wishes. But he also allowed her to learn and to grow on her own. I don't know at what point he realized he loved her, but watching this big tough man fall in love to the point her closeness unnerved him, was endearing in itself. I am unsure if it was character or actor, but the way YZJ held Duanwu's hands, smiled at her, and simply engulfed her in his protective arms melted my heart. And perhaps it wasn't just him, but the chemistry between Lusi and Liu Yuning that made it so special. Viewers have to see for themselves, but anyone who has watched Lusi before will not be surprised. This is my second drama with Liu Yuning as the ML and I find myself loving him the more I watch him. And yes, there are kiss scenes...special kiss scenes...special to their unique chemistry.
While TSOPG is said to NOT be romance centered, it was the love...the chemistry... between YZJ and Duanwu that held me captivated. To me, their relationship was the center. Meeting YZJ, set off a series of events that led to Duanwu's character growth. There were times he watched her fail, and times he helped her. Watch for those little quirks of his lips whenever she succeeds. You will see that he fell first. Duanwu was too busy trying to achieve freedom. I felt the romance every time the leads were together. There is a separation after episode 18, but it doesn't last long and even before the misunderstanding is cleared up, they still see each other. There was never a doubt that YZJ still cared for Duanwu. The lull in their relationship allowed for the FL to grow in her efforts following the ideals of female empowerment. Yes, the plot was interesting and it was gratifying to see Duanwu's resilience and intelligence result in her success as an entrepreneur. BUT it was the chemistry of this couple that had me so invested in this drama that I had ONE WISH! Both Duanwu and YZJ suffered many losses. I wanted them to be happy at the end.
The Ending (SPOILER)
I have no regrets watching The Story of Pearl Girl. It was a beautiful journey. And beautifully performed. Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning went beyond expectations. While Duanwu and Yan Zi Ying were able to achieve goals and take fate into their own hands, there were some things they could not change. It was heartbreaking to see the dignity in their acceptance that YZJ was going to die. He decided to leave as he did not want her to see him die. He wanted so much to be with her, so it was heartbreaking to see his selflessness even as he cried. It was heartbreaking to see the composure that Duanwu held together for so long fall apart as she asked him not to leave her. But it was beautiful to see the way they were in their last scene. It was when they finally faced the truth together. YZJ didn't have to hide his health from Duanwu, and she no longer had to pretend she didn't know while doing everything she could to help him. Only then did they share their pain. I like to think perspectives changed once it was all in the open. Perhaps YZJ did not leave Duanwu behind. She wished to see the world with him and she told him. She might have convinced him to let her go with him. We don't know how much of an open ending we can see this to be, but knowing Duanwu, she had always been able to sway YZJ to see her way at some point. We do know at the end, that she declined the position as head of the guild so she could travel. Some might say the gradual build-up to finally facing the truth together, sharing the pain, and then shifting to Duanwu receiving recognition for her accomplishments was beautifully done.
But.... I detest sad endings. And I detest open endings. Good for those who feel the ending works for them. Even though I see how beautifully it was done and appreciate the performances of both Liu Yuning and Zhao Lusi I still need to ask, "Wèishéme?" Why? Why couldn't they have had their happy ending? Why must we watch 40 episodes of ups and downs, be dragged for almost 22 episodes hoping for the cure only to find it was hopeless? And why did they make this couple so loving that we feel invested in their outcome? They deserved their happiness. We deserve our happiness! His death was not necessary to show female empowerment or that Duanwu could do this on her own. She had already proven her resilience and capabilities. I gave TSOPG 10s for everything except rewatch value which I put as 9 at first. Then I changed it to a 10 after writing this review because I miss them. Needless to say, I have already rewatched the final episode several times looking for answers. My heart aches and it is hard to move on. They made me love them ....
Liu Yuning sings the OST "Only Wish." Visit Peachey Blossom's The Story of Pearl Girl Full OST video: https://youtu.be/oNvhO0pbO-4 to listen to Liu Yunings beautiful voice. The lyrics show life and death are two extremes of life's journey. We don't always get our wishes because some things are beyond our control. The following are some lyrics that stood out for me in terms of the drama.
Floating life is like a boat , ferrying the sorrows and joys of the world.
I hope this fateful entanglement is half regret and half hope
...the splendid memories will stain your eyes
...the bitterness of the world is still accompanied by dreams.
...I'll be moored on the other side of the river for the rest of your life, watching
The message here is in life there is good and bad. But may you always remember the good times. Even if there are sorrows, there are joys. The joyful memories will never go away. They are worth it. And this is what I have to say about watching this drama. Yes, it has a sad ending or an open ending as you might see it to be. Like the leads, I didn't get the ending I wanted but it doesn't negate the beauty in this drama or all that went into this amazing production. It is a 10 for me. And it is a beautiful journey you should see if only for once.
It is worth it.
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